Daniel Craig is one of Hollywood’s most well-known stars, namely for his work in the James Bond franchise.
Aside from portraying James Bond in his best light, Craig mesmerized viewers with one of the best-sculpted physiques to hit the screen.
As someone who’s trained natural bodybuilders for over a decade, I was curious about how Craig achieved his physique. So, I dove into the world of celebrity interviews and social media and dug out some information on his workout routine and diet.
Let’s take a peek at what I found.
Quick Summary
- Two of Daniel Craig’s workout routines are based on training for his film roles, namely Casino Royale and No Time to Die.
- His workout routines combine strength training, compound exercises, agility training, and conditioning.
- Craig’s diet was protein-heavy and comprised 5–6 healthy meals a day.
- His workouts also incorporated agility and endurance training to prepare for the physically demanding action scenes in his films.
Daniel Craig Stats
- Age: March 2, 1968 (55 years old)
- Height: 5’10” (178 cm)
- Weight: 172 lbs (78 kg)
- Chest: 47 in (119.3 cm)
- Waist: 31 in (78.7 cm)
- Biceps: 16 in (40.6 cm)
Daniel Craig’s Workout Routine
Based on several YouTube videos and social media posts, we found two of Daniel Craig’s workout routines.
Craig’s Weight-Training Routine
Craig did this weight training routine to put on muscle for his role in Casino Royale.
It combines weightlifting with many compound exercises thrown in to efficiently target various muscle groups [1].
In addition to developing nice, lean muscle tissue, it throws in cardio for body fat loss.
Here’s how it’s done:
Monday: Full-Body Power Circuit
- Clean & jerk: 3 sets x 8–10 reps
- Weighted step-ups: 3 sets x 8–10 reps
- Weighted knee raises: 3 sets x 8–10 reps
- Weighted dips: 3 sets 8–10 reps
- Incline push-ups: 3 sets x 8–10 reps
- Preacher curls: 3 sets x 8–10 reps
Tuesday: Chest & Back
- Incline bench press: 3 sets x 8–10 reps
- Pull-ups: 3 sets x 8–10 reps
- Incline push-ups: 3 sets x 8–10 reps
- Incline pec flys: 3 sets x 8–10 reps
- Seated cable rows: 3 sets x 8–10 reps
Wednesday: Legs
- Barbell back squats: 3 sets x 8–10 reps
- Barbell deadlifts: 3 sets x 8–10 reps
- Dumbbell hamstring curls: 3 sets x 8–10 reps
- Lunges (close stance): 3 sets x 8–10 reps
- Leg raises: 3 sets x 8–10 reps
Thursday: Chest & Arms
- Tricep dips: 3 sets x 8–10 reps
- Lateral raises: 3 sets x 8–10 reps
- Shoulder press: 3 sets 8–10 reps
- Preacher curls: 3 sets x 8–10 reps
- Tricep extensions: 3 sets x 8–10 reps
Friday: Full-Body Power Circuit
- Clean & jerk: 3 sets x 8–10 reps
- Weighted step-ups: 3 sets x 8–10 reps
- Weighted knee raises: 3 sets x 8–10 reps
- Weighted dips: 3 sets 8–10 reps
- Incline push-ups: 3 sets x 8–10 reps
- Preacher curls: 3 sets x 8–10 reps
Saturday & Sunday: Conditioning Cardio (Either A Treadmill Or Brisk Walking)
Related Articles:
James Bond No Time to Die Workout
This workout routine is based on Daniel Craig’s training for the James Bond movies, namely No Time to Die.
Craig’s personal trainer, Simon Waterson (who also trained Chris Evans), crafted this routine.
It combines bodyweight training, conditioning, and agility-based exercises, the primary goal of which is to build speed and agility.
This workout involves six exercises performed in three supersets.
Here’s how it’s done:
Superset I
- Assisted pull-ups: 2 sets x 25 reps
- Agility ladder: 2 sets x 60 seconds
60 seconds rest
Superset II
- Bosu mountain climbers: 2 sets x 25 reps
- Exercise bike sprint: 2 sets x 60 seconds
60 seconds rest
Superset III
- Plank to pike: 2 sets x 25 reps
- Sprints: 2 sets x 60 seconds
“You do what you do. You run about and you push weights. I just did a lot of it.”
- Daniel Craig, American Actor
Workout Principles
Craig followed these workout principles to build a modern James Bond physique:
- Compound movements: His weight-training routine incorporated a number of compound movements (like the incline bench press, pullups, and squats).
- Agility and conditioning: Craig did a lot of agility-based work for his role as Bond, which required jumping, rolling, and other quick movements.
- Endurance training: Many James Bond scenes demanded constant movement, so Craig pushed through intense endurance workouts (supersets with low rest periods) to train for this.
- Light cardio rest days: Craig never took any rest days. On Saturdays and Sundays, he did a bit of light cardio to condition his muscles.
“His [Craig’s] physique is there to perform a function. That function just happens to be sprinting upstairs, hopping over the balustrade and into a fight sequence, out of a door, smashing through another door and into a car and driving off.”
- Simon Waterson, Celebrity Trainer
Daniel Craig’s Diet Plan: The James Bond Diet
Here’s what Danie Craig eats to fuel his body through his grueling workouts:
- Breakfast: Poached eggs, rye bread, avocado, kimchi, black coffee, and turmeric root juice.
- Snack #1: Protein shake and nuts.
- Lunch: Fish, brown or white meat, brown rice, and baked potato.
- Snack #2: Protein shake and yogurt with nuts.
- Dinner: Grilled chicken, fish, and leafy greens.
Diet Principles
The secret to Daniel’s physique and strength levels are the following diet principles:
- Protein-based diet: Craig ate a heavily protein-based diet to fuel muscle recovery after his workouts.
- Occasional cheat meals: While he followed a strict diet, he’d treat himself to a cheat meal once a week to keep his cravings under control.
- Five meals a day: His demanding workout regimen meant constantly fueling his body, so Craig’s trainer made sure he was constantly taking in healthy calories throughout the day.
- Avoiding junk: Craig strictly kept processed foods, refined sugars, soft drinks, and other junk out of his diet to avoid unnecessary weight gain.
Supplements
Craig takes the following supplements to fuel his diet and workout routine:
- Whey protein: Whey protein is one of the best ways to supplement your protein intake outside of meals, which is why he makes sure he uses the best protein powders for building muscle out there.
- Creatine: Creatine is known to improve muscle strength and hypertrophy gains when taken in optimal doses [2].
- Glutamine: Glutamine can improve muscle recovery after a strenuous workout by improving protein metabolism and inhibiting muscle mass breakdown [3].
- Multivitamins: These ensure you meet all your nutritional requirements. They’re not meant to be meal replacements.
Creatine and glutamine can be particularly effective for the end results, so don't skimp on these.
FAQs
How To Get a Physique Like Daniel Craig?
To get a physique like Daniel Craig, you need to do compound exercises, work all the muscle groups, eat a high-protein diet, and do plenty of cardio.
How Many Calories Did Daniel Craig Eat?
Craig ate around 3,000 calories a day. He ate this much to build and maintain muscle mass for his James Bond movies.
How Did Daniel Craig Bulk Up?
Daniel Craig bulked up by lifting heavy weights 3–4 times a week. This, along with a high-protein diet and protein supplements, triggered muscle growth that allowed him to bulk up fast.
How Many Hours a Day Did Daniel Craig Workout?
Daniel Craig worked out for about an hour every day. According to various social media posts, Daniel spends 45 minutes a day (5 days a week) working out.
References:
- https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2017.01105/full?utm_source=F-NTF&utm_medium=EMLX&utm_campaign=PRD_FEOPS_20170000_ARTICLE
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3407788/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8398394/
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